Today was a windy day through the city of Los Angeles that felt like winter trying to sabotage Spring after the new season basked L.A. in fresh light following days of rain; grey clouds loomed overhead from morning into early evening, but the day belonged most of all to gusts that roamed like jackals through the recently emptied city. The new ghost-town of Los Angeles.
As sunlight swept over the horizon I got up to a light snack to calm my appetite for the morning’s interval: a delicious chocolate concha with almond milk to soak it in. After that, I quickly got ready and headed out to the town. The fact is, although the city is mostly shut down into an eerie solitude and autopsy of itself, there are still plenty of places for me to see and take a seat at to sift through the day’s tasks with; on reaching my oasis, there was much to do.
There were articles to finish reading. And there were announcements to make on the Instagram.
There was the word of the day to post up. And there were also more students’ poems to review, which are soon forthcoming.
There were also at least two phone calls to make and a few different texts to send out. Then, before I knew it, it was time to get back to home or headquarters for quesadillas.
All of it felt very occupying. The only difference was that where I used to complete these tasks while finding myself surrounded by the myriad of groups which the city seemed to produce out of the blue any given second, this time, it was just me and the winds. I have to admit: there was a special charm to the isolation, like marinating in a deep, whirling secret, or the way a child alone at the candy store might feel when they realize they can finally see everything without anyone over their shoulders. The truth is I’ve always enjoyed Los Angeles when it’s had its volume turned down.
On getting back home, las quesadillas set me upright like a tower, which reminded me: tomorrow I need to head out to the store early to grab some more tortillas. I’ll make another walk of it. From there, I’ll have just as much to complete with Los Angeles yet again. Ghost-town or not, the lists yours truly has to get through before sun sets on the day continue to sweep me away.
J.T.